


Real Conspicuous

by Zahri



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-07
Updated: 2011-02-07
Packaged: 2017-10-15 11:42:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/160486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zahri/pseuds/Zahri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No descendent of Xav Vorbarra is expendable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Real Conspicuous

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lannamichaels](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lannamichaels/gifts).



> Written for the prompt "The continuing adventures of Captain Lord Padma Vorpatril of the Lord Regent's staff" from Lanna Michaels in the 2011 Winterfair Open Exchange.

_“It's Lord Vorpatril. Lady Vorpatril, too.”_

 _“Oh no.” [Cordelia] sat upright. “Are you certain?”_

 _“Oh, yes.”_

 _Kou scrubbed at his scalp, hair bent with sleep. “Did you make contact with them?”_

 _“Not yet.”_

 _“Why not?”_

 _“It's Lady Vorkosigan's call. Whether to divert from our primary mission.”_

 _And to think she'd wished for command. “Do they seem all right?”_

 _“Alive, lying low. But–that git downstairs can't have been the only one to spot them. I've spiked him for now, but someone else could get greedy any time.”_

 _“Any sign of the baby?”_

 _He shook his head. “She hasn't had it yet.”_

 _“It's late! She was due over two weeks ago. How hellish.” She paused. “Do you think we could escape the city together?”_

 _“The more people in a party, the more conspicuous,” Bothari said slowly. “And I caught a glimpse of Lady Vorpatril. She's real conspicuous. People'd notice her.”_

Cordelia paused for a moment. Padma and Alys' cover was slipping. And she remembered Padma explaining to her, months ago, how he and Aral were the last surviving descendants of Prince Xav. She looked around the room.

“The Vorpatrils are not expendable. We need to at least get them somewhere safer.” She straightened. “I think I'd better go visiting.”

Cordelia, escorted by Bothari, headed down the street 'to borrow a cup of sugar'. A transparent lie at best, the 'keep had smirked and sniggered as they'd left together. Bothari's bulk blocking her from the street, she rapped at the door. “Padma!”

There was a rustling and stifled gasp within, then the door inched open a fraction. “What? Lady Vorkosigan!” Captain Vorpatril's face, bloodless and staring, appeared. “In, in, quick!”

They slipped inside the hastily opened door, which Captain Vorpatril bolted fast behind them. Lady Alys Vorpatril, in a white nightgown soaked sheer with sweat, paced back and forth across the tiny room. Her dark hair hung loose in knotted clumps, roughly pushed back from her face. She looked up.

“Cordelia! But you were safe in Vorkosigan Surleau. What are you doing here?” She moved across the room to grab a robe and wrap it around her.

“Vordarian has my son, locked up somewhere in the Residence. Aral told me he couldn't spare the men for a rescue mission.” Cordelia grinned, showing her teeth, despite her exhaustion. “So I'm here.”

“Aral just let you go?” asked Lord Vorpatril incredulously.

“Not exactly,” Cordelia said, “I've also got Drou and Lieutenant Koudelka with me. Drou was the Princess' bodyguard – Captain Negri taught her some of the secret ways in and out of the Residence.”

Padma nodded absently. “So the four of you are going in after the Imperial heir.”

Cordelia blinked. “What?”

“I assume Aral's regretfully decided that he's going to have to become Emperor once this is over?”

“Padma, what are you talking about? Aral will be Gregor's Regent, just as before.”

Lady Alys gasped. Lord Vorpatril grabbed for Cordelia's hand, staring down into her eyes. “Gregor's alive? He's safe?”

“Gregor's safe and in hiding.”

Lady Vorpatril cried with joy.

Lord Vorpatril squeezed Cordelia's hand harder. “I had hoped... but I thought it just propaganda. The Regent fighting for his Emperor is a much higher legitimacy.”

“He's alive. I escorted him myself...”

Lord Vorpatril shushed her. “Don't tell me any more. It's safer for everyone.” Some of the tightness in his shoulders seemed to fade. “So Lord Piotr is thus a lower priority, even as we are. Why have you come to visit us here?” He glanced disparagingly around the tiny apartment.

Lady Vorpatril smiled. “You are very welcome as always, Cordelia, but how did you find us?”

“We're staying just down the street. The owner of our hostel mentioned that people were hiding down here and means to turn you in to Vordarian's men.”

Bothari added from the doorway, where he had been standing guard. “I talked him out of reporting you immediately. Convinced him I knew someone who'd give him a better price.”

Cordelia looked at Lady Vorpatril. “You need to move as soon as possible. Alys, are you able to travel?”

Lady Vorpatril shook her head. “It's the baby. I'm not fit to be seen, and it's coming.”

“I meant to go for a doctor,” said Lord Vorpatril anxiously. “She's so overdue. Would you be able to wait with her?”

Cordelia glanced at Bothari. “We really can't stay. We only came by to warn you that you needed to move.”

Bothari stared blankly at the far wall. “Milord, Miladies. I do know someone who could help, nearby. But it's not right or proper for a lady such as Lady Vorpatril!”

Lady Vorpatril stared at Bothari. “Is it a brothel?” Bothari nodded, still fascinated by the torn wallpaper on the far side of the room. “Will they keep quiet?” He nodded again. “Then I assume they will have good midwives and will be able to help me.” Lord Vorpatril stared in shock at his wife. “Padma, at this point I do not care about proprieties or that we are in the caravanserai. This baby wants to be born and I need help!”

After that things moved quickly. Lady Vorpatril was dressed in a mix of her husband's dirty shirt and a raggedy skirt donated by Cordelia then swathed in a dark cloak. Cordelia changed into the plainest skirt Alys had, after ripping the bottom flounce from it and rubbing it against the floor to pick up some grime. Lord Vorpatril collected the few essentials in the room and they hurried out in a tight group, a man at each of Lady Alys' elbows to help her along, quickly entering the alleys that, mazelike, made up the caravanserai.

They arrived at a dingy, scabrous, three storey building deep in the caravanserai. Bothari disappeared inside, then returned a few minutes later, beckoning the other three in hurriedly. They were met inside by a droopy looking woman, who quickly assessed Lady Vorpatril with a glance. “Baby taking its time?” Lady Alys nodded. “How long's it been going for?”

“Over a day,” Lady Vorpatril panted, her face shining with sweat.

“Well, I don't usually do this here, but come up the back, where we won't be in anyone's way. I'll take a look at you.”

Lady Vorpatril delivered a squalling Lord Ivan Xav Vorpatril several hours later. In the meantime Bothari had returned to their lodgings to gather Kou and Drou so they could strategise.

They had to split up. Seven was too many and too obvious, and Lady Alys and Lord Ivan needed to get somewhere safe as soon as possible.

“I'd like to get them to Tanery Base if possible,” said Lord Padma worriedly, “but I'll never make it past any of the checkpoints. Too many Vorbarr Sultana troops know me. It's not worth trying Vorpatril House since Falco's home in his District, and anyone else who I'd trust in the city is already in Vordarian's hands.”

Cordelia glanced at Kou. He'd been an unwilling accomplice to her Residential rescue plans. “Could Kou escort them out?”

Kou looked slightly panicked. “Milady!”

“You didn't chose to come to the capital with me, Kou. Can you get our non-combatants out to safety?”

Drou's lips twitched at the description. “The less bodies we take into the Residence, the less obvious we will be. We don't need many guards with us.”

“This is a rescue operation,” said Cordelia, carefully watching Kou. “Getting out's as important as getting in.”

Captain Vorpatril looked at Kou. “Lieutenant Koudelka. To Vordarian, Lord Ivan is now as much a danger as Lord Regent Vorkosigan or I am. It is an honourable, necessary duty I would be entrusting you with.”

Kou looked browbeaten. “I don't want to leave you, Milady, but I suppose we'll look a lot more innocuous, like a refugee family, with just the three of us.”

Cordelia looked over at Lord Vorpatril. “I don't want to take you into the Residence either. The staff there may not recognise me yet; I doubt the same can be said for you.”

He chuckled. “You would be correct. However, if Lieutenant Koudelka is taking care of my wife and son for me,” he nodded to Kou, who nodded solemnly back, “then there are other ways I can help. I've a fair idea that Artie Vorlakial is commanding troops for Vordarian, but I've known Artie since the Academy and he can't stand Vidal, even though his mother is Vordarian's cousin. Artie should know how to get to the underground resistance, and I'll go from there.”

“And Drou and Bothari and I will head for the Residence just before dawn.” Cordelia looked around the circle. “That's the plan sorted. Let's get some rest.”


End file.
